10 Habits that Damage Your Teeth
Do you want healthy teeth your whole life? Well, the obvious – brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist – will get you most of the way there. But it pays to be aware of tooth care beyond general upkeep. If you’re not careful, you might be damaging your teeth without even knowing it.
That’s right, there are a few sneaky habits that can do some damage to your pearly whites.
Let’s explore them now, so you can keep those chompers healthy!
1. Chewing on Ice
Even if it’s hot out, try to avoid munching on ice cubes. This habit can chip or even crack your teeth. Also, hot and cold foods can trigger sharp pain or lingering toothaches for those with sensitive teeth.
2. Playing Sports Without a Mouth Guard
Sport is a major cause of tooth injury. Bashing your teeth seems like something that doesn’t happen very often – until it does. Fast-paced contact sports such as rugby, AFL and soccer are especially dangerous, but you never know when you could catch a bad bounce in cricket or tennis. You’re better off safe than sorry, so get yourself a mouthguard.
3. Baby Bottles, Pacifiers and Thumb Sucking
Children’s teeth are especially vulnerable to movement due to persistent pressure. Habits like thumb-sucking, extended use of pacifiers, or falling asleep with the baby bottle in can cause a youngster’s teeth to shift, potentially causing problems or requiring braces in the long run.
4. Drinking Soda
Sodas can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving. They also contain phosphoric and citric acids that can eat away at your enamel. Drink too much soda, and you’re putting your teeth (and general health) at risk. Note – what goes for soda also goes for sports drinks and fruit juice.
5. Grinding Teeth
Grinding your teeth, also called bruxism, can wear down your teeth. Some grind due to stress, but some grind in their sleep, making it a hard habit to break. In these cases, sleeping mouthguards can be provided by your dentist.
6. Using Your Teeth to Open Things
Biting down on a stubborn bottle cap to open it or using your teeth to open plastic packaging might be a temptingly easy solution, but it’s not a great option for your teeth. You can crack or chip teeth in the process. Our advice? Carry a pair of mini scissors or a bottle opener.
7. Potato Chips and Gummy Candy
These two particular foods get stuck in your teeth, soaking your teeth in sugar (gummies) or starchy acids (potato chips) long after you’ve finished your snack. If the bacteria on our teeth eat these sugars it can produce acids that eat away at our enamel. Don’t eat too much sugar, and consider flossing after eating starchy foods like potato chips.
8. Wine (Red and White)
We hate to say it, but too much wine isn’t good for your teeth either. The reason is that the acids in wine eat away at tooth enamel. These acids can create rough spots on your teeth that are more vulnerable to staining. Red wine stains teeth. White wine can create a ‘stain’ as well by wearing away white enamel and revealing the more yellow dentine beneath. White wine also renders your teeth more likely to be stained by red wine or other dark beverages like coffee. It is best to swish with water after drinking or using a whitening toothpaste can fight off the wine staining effect.
9. Chewing on Pens or Pencils
Most people who do this don’t realise they’re at it until they catch sight of the gnarled end of their writing utensil. Just like chewing on ice, this sneaky habit can chip or crack your teeth, or wear down and weaken your enamel over time. Our advice? Chew on some sugar-free gum.
10. Smoking
Cigarettes and other tobacco products can stain your teeth. This can usually be treated with teeth whitening – but tobacco can also cause gum disease and cancer of the mouth, lips and tongue. Those ones aren’t treated so easily.
…And Here’s one Good Habit
Now that you know all the bad habits, here’s a good one: visit your dentist. It’s simple and it’s obvious, but people often let years slip by between checkups. When this happens, little problems can turn in to big ones – and little costs can turn into big bills.
If you’re looking for a dentist in the Ipswich region, give us a look at https://karaleefamilydental.com.au/. We serve the entire area, providing experienced and impeccable dentistry for local suburbs like North Ipswich and Booval.
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